Party-less JDV forms Lakas ‘conscience hotline’

MANILA, Philippines – He may be down, but he’s definitely not out.

Former House speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., who formed Lakas-CMD in 1992 but was forced to quit following his falling out with President Arroyo, has launched a so-called “conscience hotline” for “lost” party members.

After its merger with the country’s second biggest party Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino, the Pangasinan congressman said Lakas – now defunct – needs a centralized system of communication among members, especially the “thousands” who had been eased out after the merger.

In a statement, De Venecia – who is partyless following the merger – said the “Conscience Hotline” is 334-5952. Party members may also get in touch through email at lakascmd. conscience@yahoo.com.

De Venecia earlier filed a 20-page petition with the Commission on Elections for the voiding of the merger, which former President Fidel Ramos said was marred with irregularities and done in haste and without any consultation among members.

Ramos called it a “colossal fraud and a grand deception of the people.”

“It’s an open and shut case. President Arroyo and the senior officers of the alleged merger did not convene and therefore did not get the approval for the merger of the Lakas-CMD national assembly,” he said.

“The period for ratification has lapsed. The merger is unauthorized, illegal, and null and void. The election of their officers, from the president down, is also irregular. No less than Ramos declared the merger was attended by ‘irregularities,’ in violation of the Lakas-CMD constitution and bylaws,” De Venecia said.

De Venecia, who was ousted as speaker in February 2008, said he wanted Lakas members to “reclaim” their party.

“Yes, I have been in favor of a merger since 1998. No less than Sen. Gloria Arroyo appealed to me and the other leaders to effect the merger when she was lobbying to be my vice-presidential running mate in the 1998 elections,” he said.

“But the merger must be done properly, correctly, legally, following full consultation with the members in the regions, nationwide, and only after approval and ratification by the Lakas-CMD national assembly,” De Venecia argued.

Speaker Prospero Nograles said De Venecia has no business questioning the merger of the country’s two biggest political parties, because he is no longer a member of Lakas.

“JDV has no more business commenting about our political party as we have abolished Lakas and merged it to create a new political party with a new personality,” said Nograles, vice chairman of the merged Lakas-Kampi-CMD party.

Nograles said his predecessor has “not been a member of good standing,” and therefore “has no right to complain or to reply or to be invited in any of our political meetings.”

De Venecia and former President Ramos formed Lakas in 1992.

Presidential son and Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo said he hopes De Venecia would be enlightened and “overcome the hatred in his heart.”

“With all due respect, I sincerely pray that the statesman in him will resurface and overcome the hatred in his heart,” the presidential son said.

“I don’t know where JDV is coming from. First of all, it was he who was one of the original proponents of the merger. He has been espousing the union of these two giant political parties since 2005,” said Arroyo.

“Secondly, there have been grassroots consultations among party members since more than a year ago,” he added.

For his part, Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez, chairman of the House committee on oversight, said De Venecia’s Comelec petition is baseless.

“I think all legal minds are there when we created the Lakas-Kampi-CMD party. I suggest to the former speaker to just give constructive criticism on how the merger could be strengthened, instead of dividing it,” he said.

“We managed to cover all legal issues so I don’t think there is ground to nullify the merger. I think this (petition) will not prosper,” Suarez said. –Delon Porcalla, Manila Times